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Natural Infection of Man with Group A Streptococci
Author(s) -
RIESEN W. F.,
SKVARIL F.,
BRAUN D. G.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1976.tb00292.x
Subject(s) - antibody , subclass , group a , streptolysin , biology , group b , titer , streptococcus , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , bacteria , medicine , bacterial protein , genetics
The level of antibodies specific for the two serologically distinct polysaccharides of group A and group A‐variant streptococci was investigated in human sera by a modified Farr technique. Whereas there was an obvious relationship between the anti‐streptolysin O titer and the level of group‐A‐specific antibodies, suggesting a recent streptococcal infection with group A streptococci, this correlation was not apparent for the level of group A‐variant antibodies. There is evidence suggesting that children have significantly lower group A polysaccharide antibody levels than adults; this is not true of their group A‐variant antibody levels. There was an apparent restriction of groups A‐ and A‐variant‐specific antibodies to the κ light‐chain type and IgG2 heavy‐chain subclass. Whereas only one serum contained group A‐specific antibodies also associated with IgG3 heavy chains, nine sera contained anti‐group A‐variant‐specific antibodies with both IgG2 and IgG3 heavy chains. No anti‐polysaccharide activity was detected in the IgM and IgA class of serum antibodies. Anti‐group A and anti‐group A‐variant antibodies of human sera are restricted with respect to the number of clonotypes that are shown by isoelectric focusing. The most heterogeneous sera contained roughly ten clonotypes.